tormented 1 of 2

adjective

as in tortured

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tormented

2 of 2

verb

past tense of torment
as in plagued
to cause persistent suffering to he was tormented by nightmares about the accident

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tormented
Verb
Their absence clearly tormented him, but his total dependence on Sara seemed to embarrass him, too. — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 The three-paragraph note compared Lyons to a Nazi and predicted that Lyons would be tormented by his own conscience. — Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 6 July 2026 Tournament favorites France, for example, have so thoroughly taunted and tormented their opponents that anything short of the final would seem an injustice at this point. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2026 The Gold Glove third baseman tormented them for years with the Colorado Rockies, and it’s been no different with the Diamondbacks. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 30 June 2026 In that movie, Depp played a young woman who is tormented after vampire Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) becomes obsessed with her. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 29 June 2026 Alex Freeman tormented his opponents in Seattle on Friday, 30 years after his famous dad did the same. — David Close, CNN Money, 20 June 2026 We have been tormented by the cost of electricity for decades. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026 In recent years, Trae Young has repeatedly tormented the Knicks at the famed Madison Square Garden, turning clutch shots and postgame showmanship into vulgar chants from New York fans. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tormented
  1. tortured
  2. plagued
  3. frustrated
  4. persecuted
  5. harassed
  6. afflicted
  7. harried
  8. besieged
Adjective
  • Natalie Portman famously saw a twisted version of herself in mirrors as part of her Oscar-winning performance as a tortured ballerina in Black Swan.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 17 July 2026
  • It’s held together beautifully by Bailey, who’s easy to root for as the tortured protagonist, and, as one half (along with her sister) of the musical duo Chloe x Halle, knows a thing or two about the musician’s plight.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 26 June 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • Liam Gallagher continued his longtime legacy of talking crap about other artists with his recap of this year’s World Cup halftime show, tweeting out various annoyances that plagued him.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • Both Boeing and Airbus have been plagued by supply crunches following the Covid-19 pandemic, and have struggled to meet demand for new aircraft from customers.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 20 July 2026
Definition of plagued
Adjective
  • In addition to believing, plain and simple, that Shamea crossed the line with her Miss Diane tea, the newbies also seem frustrated by how much the feud is interfering with the group dynamic and the show’s levity.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • Tuchel is now facing a significant public backlash at home, from fans who feel frustrated that this tournament has ended the way that so many others have.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • Also on Wednesday, Blume returned a Pablo Picasso bust, Fernande/Beatrice (1905), to the descendants of German-Jewish dealer Alfred Flechtheim, who was persecuted by the Reich, reports TAN.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 16 July 2026
  • Representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine have been persecuted.
    — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of persecuted
Adjective
  • Others were placed under house arrest, harassed or subject to extensive surveillance, or had their passports confiscated, according to prior NPR reporting and the findings of the United Nations and rights groups.
    — Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 2026
  • For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Definition of harassed
Verb
  • Forty-nine of the afflicted have been hospitalized; of those, thirty-four have gone home.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 15 July 2026
  • Jonestown afflicted Naipaul’s vision, his way of deciphering not just political manias but the dreariness of urban life, the perpetual doom of the nuclear-arms race.
    — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 14 July 2026
Definition of afflicted
Adjective
  • Dinners are interrupted whenever a harried entrepreneur receives that ping that signifies there is a critical, must-address emergency happening on their phone.
    — AllBusiness, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • The confluence of those problems lead to a harried, chew-your-fingernails night for all the star players in this final season.
    — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Definition of harried
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the palace has been besieged by loutish suitors, led by the scheming Antinous (Robert Pattinson), all of them vying for the queen’s hand in remarriage and mooching off the absent king’s food and wine.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • There was a dinner for 500 after the fashion show on Tuesday night, and he was besieged by guests wanting to talk to him, talk his picture, take selfies, and just bask in his glory.
    — Dylan Jones, Robb Report, 16 July 2026
Definition of besieged

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Cite this Entry

“Tormented.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tormented. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of tormented for Spanish Speakers

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